According to The Rundown AI on X, the first trailer for “As Deep as the Grave” features an AI version of the late actor Val Kilmer, with the character reportedly appearing for over an hour of screen time, signaling a major production-scale deployment of generative likeness technology. As reported by The Rundown AI, the move highlights accelerated adoption of voice and face cloning pipelines in filmmaking, raising rights management, consent, and revenue-sharing considerations for estates and studios. According to The Rundown AI, the trailer suggests a full narrative role rather than brief cameo de-aging, indicating maturing toolchains for high-fidelity digital doubles, potential cost offsets versus reshoots, and new licensing models for posthumous performances.

According to FoxNewsAI, Fox News reported that a recent AI-driven recreation of Val Kilmer’s voice and likeness sparked significant backlash from fans who argued it "should be illegal," raising urgent questions about consent, licensing, and deepfake safeguards in entertainment workflows. According to Fox News, the controversy centers on synthetic voice cloning used to replicate Kilmer’s performance, highlighting the need for clear rights management, transparent consent logs, and watermarking to prevent misuse. As reported by Fox News, the incident underscores business risks for studios deploying generative voice models without robust provenance, suggesting opportunities for vendors offering consent management platforms, synthetic media watermarks, and model governance tools tailored to film and TV production.